Shamik Ghosh With Agencies Inputs

• Will come to power in 100 days, will usher in 'ekta ki kheti': Narendra Modi

  Narendra Modi, who addressed back-to-back rallies on the weekend in the North-East and down south in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, said today that the Congress-led government at the Centre has only 100 days left in power.

• Election Commission meets cyber security experts over deal with Google

  Senior officials from the Election Commission today met cyber security experts to discuss Internet giant Google's proposal for a tie-up ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

• Nine killed as Bandra-Dehradun Express catches fire in Thane, Maharashtra

  Nine people have been killed in a fire that broke out on the Bandra-Dehradun Express near Dahanu Road Railway station in Thane district late last night.

• Regret circumstances of Devyani Khobragade's arrest, says US ambassador

  The US has no plans to drop the criminal charges against Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade who has been accused of visa fraud, according to the Press Trust of India.

• Protests against parole to Sanjay Dutt, his 'unwell' wife's photos create stir

  A group of activists demonstrated outside the Yerawada Central Jail in Pune today, protesting against the decision to grant parole to actor Sanjay Dutt. Waving black flags and banners, the activists shouted slogans, demanding that Mr Dutt should not be granted parole and must be treated at par with other prisoners.

• British Prime Minister David Cameron's motorcade stopped by Tamil protestors in Jaffna

  British Prime Minister David Cameron's motorcade was stopped today by Tamil protestors in Sri Lanka's Jaffna, a district which bore the main brunt of the country's ethnic conflict in 2009. 40,000 Tamil civilians were allegedly killed in the final days of the ethnic violence. At Jaffna's Kannagi camp for about 500 people yet to be resettled after t...

• Irom Sharmila's hunger strike enters its 14th year today

  Sharmila has been on a hunger strike since November 04, 2000 in Manipur's capital Imphal, demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA in the state and other disturbed areas across the country.

• 5 techies among 45 killed in fire on bus headed to Hyderabad

  It was a little after 5 am when the bus headed from Hyderabad to Bangalore hit a barrier on the highway. The passengers on board were sleeping when the Volvo went up in flames. 44 people were killed, many of them burnt alive.

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  Jagan Mohan Reddy's promise for 2014 polls: 'We will support whoever backs a united Andhra Pradesh'

  At a massive rally of over one lakh people in Hyderabad, YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy today asked the people of Andhra Pradesh to give his party 30 Lok Sabha seats in next year's general election to stop the bifurcation of the state. He also made a promise, saying he will support any party that 'backs a united Andhra Pradesh.'

• 'Pakistani agencies tried to contact Muzaffarnagar victims': Rahul Gandhi's remark kicks up a storm

  Rahul Gandhi's comment in Indore last evening that he had been told Pakistani agencies are approaching victims of the recent Muzafarnagar riots to lure them into terrorism, has kicked up a political storm.

• Cyclone Phailin: Caught in flood fury, thousands still await relief

  The timely and accurate predictions by the meteorological department along with swift action by the government and disaster management forces may have minimised the loss of lives, but the twin calamity of Cyclone Phailin and the resultant floods have still affected over 1.2 crore people in more than 16,000 villages in Odisha. The death toll in the...

• 'Powerless' Andhra Pradesh on Cyclone Phailin alert, some striking officials return to work

  As Andhra Pradesh continues to weather a political storm over the bifurcation of the state, a major cyclone is heading its way. As the state braces for the storm, revenue officials, who were on strike over the creation of Telangana, have started to return to work. However, the officials say their strike is not over yet.

• 28 killed in Assam, two buses flipped over, driver held

  Nearly 30 people including 13 children have been killed in a major road accident in Assam. They were traveling in two buses which were hit by a truck on National Highway 35 in the Barpeta district of the northern part of the state.

• At 'harmony'meet, Nitish Kumar's veiled dig at Narendra Modi

  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today that along with good governance and progress, "we will also have to strengthen a culture wherein India's plurality and diversity are vibrantly represented".

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  Curfew lifted in Jammu and Kashmir, Amarnath yatra resumes

  The curfew, imposed in the Kashmir Valley two days ago, has been lifted in Srinagar. The state remained largely peaceful yesterday despite calls for protests after four people were killed in firing by the Border Security Force in Gool area of Ramban district on Thursday. However, restrictions in the vulnerable parts of the state will continue.